Improvement in the manufacture of illuminating-gas



2 Sheets--Sheet 1'.

W. M. JACKSON. Manufacture'of Illuminating Gas.

Patented Och-13,1874.

mamas 4 2Sheets--Sheet2. W. M. JACKSON.

" Manufacture of Illuminating Gas.

No l55,87 2, \Patented0cit.13,I874.

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UNITED STATES PATENT ()rrron.

WALTER M. JACKSON, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF lLLUMlNATlNG-GAS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 155,872, dated October13, 1874; application filed June 27, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER M. JACKSON, of Providence, in the county ofProvidence and State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in the Manufacture of Illuminating-Gas, of which thefollowing is a specification:

The object of this invention is to provide an economical and convenientmethod of manufacturing illuminatinggas by decomposing steam andrecombining its elements with hydrocarbons. It consists in thehereinafter-described process of distilling crude petroleum or otherhydrocarbons, and using only the heavier fixed hydrocarbons of the same,the more volatile and aqueous portions, which are objectionable for themanufacture of gas, being eliminated in such a manner as to render itsvalue as an illuminating-oil equal to the whole value ,of the crudepetroleum, thereby saving the almost total cost of the hydrocarbon used.It also consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts andthe manipulation of the reagents, as will be hereinafter more fullydescribed.

Figure l is a front elevation of my improvet apparatus. Fig. 2 is a rearelevation. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevation. Fig. 41s ahorizontal section of the retort taken on the line as w of Fig. 3. Fig.5 is a cross-sea tion of the retort taken on the line 3 y of Fig. 3.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A is a furnace or bench having a tapered cylindrical retort, B, placedobliquely through the main flue (J, said retort being made of iron orother suitable material, also larger at the lower end than at the upperend, with a gradual and regular swell from the up per to the lower end,and having a central perpendicular partition, I), of same materialseparating it into two chambers, the lower end touching the lower end ofthe retort, but

the upper one falling short of the upper end of the retort a sufficientdistance to allow the gas to pass from one chamber of the retort aroundthe partition to the other chamber. Each end of the retort is to beclosed by an iron door, E F, set up by means of luting and cutter bars Gso as to make gas-tight joints. Below the retort is a thin fire-brickpartition,

H, underwhich partition is located the fire and lower portion of thefine, which runs parallel with the retort as far as its upper end, thencrosses it-and passes down over the retort to its lower end, theremeeting the chimney or main exit I. Before reaching the chimney or mainexit the flue is divided into three fines. First, the main flue orchimney; second, the boilerflue J, or that which passes the heat to theboiler K, for the purpose of generating steam therein; and third, theoilflue L, or that which passes the heat to the oil-tank M, for thepurpose of distilling off the light portions of the oil. All these linesare supplied with valves or dampers, the dampers so situated that thewhole volume of heat may be passed through any one of the three fines,or two, or all three, or divided so as to get any desired temperatureupon the boiler or oiltank, or be shut off altogether from one or both.Over the boiler-flue a tubular boiler, K, or other kind, is set, with asuitable smokepipe leading to the main chimney, and entering it abovethe main chimney-damper or cutoff. Over the oil-flue an oil-tank, M, fordistilling the oil, is set, and also provided with a smoke-pipe escapinginto the chimney, and having a damper in it.

The boiler, the retort, and the oil-tank are thus heated by one fire,the fines being so arranged that all the heat must pass the retortbefore it is used to make steam or distill the oil.

The boiler is supplied with a suitable safety valve, 0, steam-gage P,and cooks to determine the presence of water in the boiler, and theheight of the water, and connected by steanrpipe Q with chamber R of theretort conveying steam to it.

The oil-tank may be made of iron or tin, either round or square, andwith a fixed or adjustable cover, to close the top air-tight. In thecover is located a filling-tube, S, with proper stopper, through whichthe oil is poured into the tank. From the top of the cover or the topside of the tank a pipe, T, leads down to the bottom of a tank, U, orcondenser, loeated much lower than the oiltank, for receiving andcondensing the light oils and watery vapors expelled from the oiltank. Acock is placed in this condenser about halfway up its side, to draw offthe oil, while the water may be drawn off from the bottom. Theoil-tankhas a cock, W, near the bottom, discharging into the funnel Y ofa siphon, Z, which discharges into the upper end of chamber R of theretort to conduct the heavy oil into it. Through the cover of theoil-tank a suitable thermometer, a, is fixed, with its bulb in the oil,to give at a glance the temperature of the oil. At the lower end of theretort, and below it, is placed a trap or dry well, I), sealed tight,having a cock, V, at the bottom, and also having two perpendicularpipes, 01 0, leading into its top, one from the lower end and under sideof chamber R in the retort, and. the other from the other chamber. Theobject of these pipes is to clear the chambers in the retort of anycondensation that may take place in them. A pipe, f, connects the topside and lower end of chamber R of the retort with the hydraulic main g.

The process is as follows: The chamber R of the retort is filled withcrystallized carbon or graphite, or coke, or prepared carbon, and thechamber R with ordinary broken red-clay bricks or other suitable porousmaterial, or left empty, the object of the brick being to becomecarbonized, and thus rendered fit to be placed in the first side of theretort. They have no influence for or against the gas product while inchamber R. I A fire is then made in the fire-chamber, the retort issufficiently heated, the water in boiler is raised to the requiredquantity of steam, and the temperature of the oil raised properly fordistillation. When the steam is at a pressure of about eighty pounds,more or less, to the square inch eighty pounds being considered the bestpressureit is turned into the chamber R, where, by passing through theincandescent carbon material, it is decomposed, forming hydrogen andcarbonic-oxide gases. These gases then pass around the upper end of theretort-partition, where they are met by the heavy hydrocarbon oilrunning in through the retort, whereby they are carbureted, and thusgiven illuminating power, and in passing down the second chamber thegases and hydrocarbon are fused into a fixed illuminating-gas, and thendischarged into the hydraulic main g.

By experiment it has been found that the lighter or spirit parts ofcrude petroleum oil and the free water which are frequently found mixedwith the crude oil, are decidedly objectionable, both condensing fromthe gas- To correct this diificulty, and, at the same time, to makeeconomical use of crude oil, I have made the oil-tank with suitableconnections and apparatus for distilling off the lighter products andwater from the oil, using as a carbureting material the heavy oil only.To do this I have arranged, as before stated, the oilflue, so regulatingthe heat by damper and thermometer that I can keep the oil in theoiltank at a proper temperature-about 212 Fahrenheit-to drive off thespirit and water,

which I afterward condense by means of cold water. When theheat isapplied to the oil the lighter portions of the oil and water will riseand escape from the surface, and, being heavier than air, they will fallthrough the conducting-pipe to the condenser, and there, by beingcontracted by cooling, they are liquelied, and the spirit, being of lessspecific gravity than the water, will float on its surface, while theaqueous vapor or steam will condense to form water and mingle with thewater already in the condenser. A stop-cock is located mid way on thecondenser, and it is intended that this shall be the water-line. Now, itwill be seen that as the spirit accumulates on the surface of the waterit may be drawn off when desired. It is also desirable to place astop-cock at the bottom side of the condenser for convenience in drawingoff the water; also a fillingtube at the top of the condenser forsupplying the water, or the whole condenser may be located in andsurrounded by still or running waterI By this method of handling thecarbureting material it may be seen that the light products may be soldfor as much as the whole cost, and as the heat which distills the oil isheat which would otherwise have been wasted, carbureting material costsbut little or nothing; also, it may be seen that the spirit and freewater in the crude oil are effectually prevented from prejudicial actionon the gases by being wholly removed. 7

Now, as the hydrocarbon oils are, in general, free from sulphur andother objectionable ingredients, and as by my process I do not requireto condense or wash or purify my illuminating-gas, I am enabled to doaway with the ordinary lime-purifiers, washers, and condensers withwhich coal-gas is treated; also, as my fire for maintaining theincandescent state of my prepared carbon in my retort is outside theretort, I lose no time in the production of my gas and have nodifficulty in maintaining any desired heat; and, by using preparedcarbon, I am enabled to run steam through it for an indefinite length oftime without fusing, consumin g, or reducing to ashes the carbon; also,I am enabled to manufacture a fixed illuminat- .ing-gas with greatrapidity, and at a very trifling expense.

The works, constructed as above, may be erected upon a larger scale,sufficient to supply illuminating or heating gas for the largest cityconsumption, or portable and small enough to supply a residence or oneburner.

I am aware that it is not new to charge brick and analogous porousmaterial with carbon, nor to use porous material saturated withhydrocarbons for carbureting water-gas, nor to use coke or coal fordecomposing steam, and, therefore, I do not claim these processes; but

What I do claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- 1 1.In the manufacture of illuminating and heating gas, the process ofdecomposing steam by passing the same under a high degree of heatthrough solid porous material which has been previously treated with aheavy hydrocarbon in such a manner as to charge the porous material withcarbon, substantially as specified.

2. In the manufacture of illuminating-gas, the process of distilling ofithe lighter portions of petroleum-oil or other similar hydrocarbon, touse the residuum or paraffine alone for carbureting hydrogen andcarbonic-oxide gases, substantially as described.

3. An apparatus combined upon a single furnace or fire, consisting of atapering inclined retort, 13, having a partition, D, the oil-receptacleM, having an incasing-chamber of hot air communicating with thesmoke-pipe and also with the main flue of the furnace, the steamboilerK, having the connections J N, the whole constructed and arranged withdampers and flues, so as to be operated by one fire, substantially asdescribed, and for the purpose of manufacturing illuminating and heatinggas.

WALTER M. JACKSON. Witnesses:

J OHN G. PURKIs, HENRY MARTIN.

